Top 10 Books in 2015

It's that time of the year again - year end lists! I'll be posting my films lists in January, but for now, here's my book list. This year I got to read an incredible selection of books varying genres. Not all of them were gems, but there were clear standouts to the roster. It was hard to narrow the selection to only the top 10, but these are the books that stood out and would recommend to read. These aren't ranked in order.

Blind Spot: Requiem for a Dream

For the two years that I’ve participated in the blind spot series, I’ve reserved what I think was the bleakest, most daunting film for the finale. I’ve failed to complete my whole list for the year, but 11 out of 12 doesn’t seem so bad. I’ve heard good things about Requiem, how it was so bleak and depressing, but also a fantastic film. Up until I’ve seen the film have I been overselling it to my head, saving what I thought was the best for last. Sad to say but it did not meet my expectations.

The Good Dinosaur

Or How We Are All Arlo – Pixar’s latest venture may not be as grandiose as its previous outing (see Inside Out), but the struggle of the main character is real and relatable in what seems to be more of a children’s story. Arlo is a cautious dinosaur that fears a lot of things; he is a weakling compared to his quick-witted sister and his strong brother. One day, due to a storm and his encounter with a critter, he manages to get swept away from his home and into the wild. Along with his new friend Spot, he tries to get back home to his family. 

Far From the Madding Crowd

Bathsheba Everdene is an orphan girl who is quite independent in her ways. One winter, she encounters Gabriel Oak, a shepherd who becomes smitten with her. When he proposes to marry her, she rejects him saying that she has no need for a husband. This is where the film begins; the journey of Bathsheba and her tangling fate with Mr. Oak, as well as her journey to love.

Trailer: X-Men Apocalypse


Since the holiday season begun it's become difficult to just sit down and blog (or do any blog-related activities) - how do you guys do it? I'm just going to leave you with the new X-Men trailer. It looks very flashy and more dramatic but I'm not sure how it'll fare with its predecessors. The third X-Men movie was horrible, I'm hoping this doesn't suffer the same fate. What do you think? Are you looking forward for the final installment?

Blind Spot Series 2016

The Blind Spot Series is a yearly film event hosted by Ryan of The Matinee. For my previous blind spot choices, see 2014, 2015.

I'd like to think that my choices for the series varied for the past two years. However, as I'm coming to a conclusion to this year's blind spot list, I made an unfortunate discovery: I didn't have fun with my choices compared to the first year. Some of the films were daunting to watch, or I was underwhelmed with my expectations. I may have also possibly set my goals a bit too high this year, and have suffered complete burn outs for weeks at a time, and that might have played a role in viewing the film of the month. I was planning to go with foreign cinema for 2016, but seeing the results of this year, I might take a route similar to 2014 but instead of picking randomly, all my choices are films in the 70's. Here is my list for the upcoming blind spot series. 

Harold and Maude (1971)
The French Connection (1971)
Solaris (1972)
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
Jaws (1975)
Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
All the Presidents Men (1976)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Alien (1979)

Have you watched any of these films? What are your thoughts about it? 

Trailers: The Huntsman, Zoolander 2, How to Be Single, Gods of Egypt


So this is happening. I think I'm one of the few who did enjoy Snow White and the Huntsman, but I didn't really expect a sequel from it. This time, Snow White's out of the picture (though I'm hoping there's some reference here to what she's been up to), focusing more on Hemsworth as the titular Huntsman. I'm glad Charlize Theron is back; she was a bit of a highlight in the first movie. Joining them are Emily Blunt (who is in so many movies lately, I love it!) and Jessica Chastain. Hopefully this would be enjoyable, a popcorn movie type of flick. 

Trailer: Moonwalkers


This basically flew to my radar because it has the words 'Rupert Grint' in it. Unlike his fellow Potter co-stars whose fame has skyrocketed, Grint seems to be keeping himself on the down low. I haven't seen anything of his recently, and while this doesn't look promising, I'm hoping it'll at least be fun to watch.  

Blind Spot: The Sound of Music

Two things have happened since I've watched The Sound of Music. First, is that the songs have been heavily playing over and over again in my mind. Second, is that I have been humming them for those days. The Sound of Music has been one of those 'must-see' films for ages; the songs have been heavily referenced that it sometimes borders on irksome (especially when not in a chipper mood). The city of Salzburg still holds a torch for the film, including tidbits of the shooting location when giving tours (or at least the one I was in). Despite watching this at a later age and knowing most of the songs, I don't really know much about the plot of the film. The experience of watching a classic was still intact; I think it's safe to say that it's a timeless piece.

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies about Music/Making Music/Musicians

This week’s Thursday Movie Picks will tackle movies about music/making music/musicians. These however, can’t be biopics or focus on real life musicians. I was hoping to use a hidden gem this week but it defies one of the rules so I’ll go with my recent favorites instead.

Spectre

If Daniel Craig's planning to end his run as James Bond, this is a great movie to end it with, no strings attached. Set after the death of M (Judi Dench), Bond was given a task to locate a man and kill him. The opening sequence leads to Bond's hunt for the man, eventually masking the organization that has been behind multiple terrorist attacks. It doesn't help that the man in charge has a link to Bond's past. Besides that, MI6 has also been dealing with a new head of international security whose mission is to announce the Double 0 program obsolete and shut it down.

Thursday Movie Picks: Secret Agents/Spies

Happy Thursday everyone! One more day until the weekend; I'm hoping to catch Spectre this weekend, keeping my fingers crossed! This week's theme is quite timely with the film's release - secret agents or spies! Here are my picks this week:

Trailer: Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong


A few days ago I stumbled into this movie through reading Ruth's interview with the director. I'm always on a lookout for films set in Hong Kong (besides the action-packed ones), so I'm definitely going to watch this for that. As for the movie itself, I don't want to expect much, but who knows maybe I'll end up liking it. I haven't seen much of Chung and Greenberg's works, but hopefully their off-screen partnership shines through their movie. 

Break: Some Books I've Read

I went on a movie-free binge for at least a week and spent most of my free time reading. In a few days I read a stack of books that would at least take me a month or two (or three if I'm feeling lazy) to finish. Since it's a bit of a breather to not be watching anything at the moment (at least that week), here are some of the books I've removed from my to-read list.

Double Feature: Knock Knock / The Final Girls

Since it's a month for spooky movies, I'll be reviewing two horror flicks released this year - Knock Knock and The Final Girls. Let's just say one of them is campy fun, the other is horribly dull.

Blind Spot: The Shining

Horror flicks are not my forte, they never were and they never will be. However, October's always been the spooky month, so why watch a scary film that I've been putting off because of its genre? The Shining is one of the most talked about horror films in the century. There are so many iconic scenes in this that it's impossible to go in blind. Despite knowing a thing or two about it, it still managed to scare me - The Shining is wickedly good.

Trailer: Hail, Ceasar

The slight lull here will continue in the coming week as I have found that a crime-centered series that I've rigorously read this year had a sixth book released last year - I missed it so I will be stuck to my device flipping through the pages before I resurface to watch another movie. Meanwhile, here is the trailer for the new Coen Brothers film. It looks fun, and it has quite the cast, certainly can't wait for this one. I haven't started compiling my 2016 watch list yet, but this certainly makes the cut! 

Pilots: September 21 - 25

The end of September means pilot season! A ton of new shows are going to be released for the following weeks, and I thought I’d give a run down to what I’ve seen so far last week.

Blind Spot: Y Tu Mama Tambien

Of all my blind spot choices this year, this would have to be one of those I’m very excited to watch hence leaving it on for later when I needed the motivation to keep going through the list. I really didn’t know much about it, except it involved a road trip and it starred Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. This movie is quite a sexual coming of age tale.

Tomorrowland

I had expectations when it came to this movie. For starters, it’s directed by Brad Bird – he worked on The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ghost Protocol. So with his attachment to a movie came the stigma that he was going to deliver something good. The case isn’t exactly the same for Tomorrowland.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Young adult movies are becoming more fluent lately; they don’t only adapt franchise starting ones, but also those that tell a story that most of us could relate with. Sadly, some of those stories always involve losing a loved one over cancer – cancer movies. Unfortunately this is one of them; but a well made, coming of age film that doesn’t have us bawling like hell, but touches on the human experience of it.

Thursday Movie Picks: Journalists/Reporters for Print/TV

Thursday Movie Picks is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. She gives out a theme each week, and we are to choose movies that correspond to the specific theme. For this week, it’s about reporters or journalists for print or television. I don’t really know much about reporters or journalists besides the usual details – fact check, report the truth, and always get where the action is. Some of these people are very good at their jobs and are recognized for their hard work in the field. Some get into scandals, which are terrible, especially if it’s directly linked to their work. Here are my picks this week:

Clouds of Sils Maria

Kristen Stewart made headlines for being the first American actress to earn a Cesar award (equivalent of an Oscar) for her supporting role in Olivier Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria. This just added to my excitement to finally getting around to watching the film. While the film is about an aging woman chosen to portray the older character of a play she did twenty years ago, it divulges deeper to her psyche – particularly her rejection for change and perception. Note: the review is mainly a character study, so this has spoilers.

Thursday Movie Picks: Train Movies

Besides a car, trains are the next type of land transportation that I feel comfortable taking. They’re efficient and fast, even though they get delayed sometimes. I sometimes end up comparing the train systems of different countries, and how their system works and the aesthetics of their trains. The most 'uncommon' train system I’ve ever encountered was the system in Vienna, Austria. They are quite serious with their transportation etiquette, even having random cart checking for validated tickets and IDs (it's serious work, these checkers just suddenly announce themselves in the train!). Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I’ve encountered an experience, but it was quite memorable. Totally derailing from the topic, here are my picks for this week:

Thursday Movie Picks: Teachers

I’ve sat out of months of Thursday Movie Picks, but here it is picking up again. This is hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves, with this week’s theme revolving around teachers. Teachers are part of the building blocks of society. They mold our minds and teach us to think and reason out. I’ve had my fair share of memorable teachers, so my picks are characters that had stood out for me in their profession. Here are my picks this week:

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Him & Her

One of my awaited films from last year is the Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy film, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. What makes it unique is that it is split into two parts, with each film focusing on one main character as they navigate through their lives and relationship after the loss of their son. While there is a version that combines these two films into one (if watched separately, it will clock to a three-hour run time), I have read that the separate versions work wonderfully as well. While neither was anything that I’ve expected, Him and Her compliment each other fluidly, and with the different perspectives adding to the tone and shift each piece is going for.

Pride & Prejudice

Like a somewhat insane person, I’ve been recently obsessing about Pride and Prejudice, prompting me to write a three-part review. It’s one of the classical adaptations whose versions I like to watch and fall in love with Lizzie and Mr. Darcy. I’m still in between reading the book and deciding if I should do a comparative piece between the novel and the adaptations I've seen. For now, I’m going to be writing about the 2005 film adaptation, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

Inside Out

Inside Out was one of my most awaited films this year. Praises were sung from nearly all corners of the internet; it was a comeback that was not to be missed. The film certainly lived up to its hype, and can be considered one of Pixar’s best works yet.

Oscar Re-Do Blogathon

I've read about this blogathon hosted by Matt of Film Guy Reviews through others' entries and I wanted to join in the fun. Before anything else, here are the rules:
1. You must only pick one film from one year.
2. When nominating it in different categories, you must take out one actual nominee to make room for yours.
Ex: Shame (2011)
Best Picture
-Who goes off: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Best Director (Steve McQueen):
-Who goes off: Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
3. After including it in each category you chose, give a short blurb as to why you would've entered it in the different categories that you chose and why you would've nominated it over the nominees that you replaced.
4. It can be a film that is already nominated. But one that only has about one or two.
5. After posting on your blog, you can post the link in the comments section of this page or tweet me @filmguy619.
You guys have two weeks to take part in this blogathon and I look forward to what you guys come up with. Have fun!

Against the Crowd Blogathon 2015

Wendell from Dell on Movies is hosting another blogathon! Its a sequel to the Against the Crowd Blogathon he hosted last year (you can read my entry here). Here are the rules:

1. Pick one movie that "everyone" loves (the more iconic, the better). That movie must have a score of at least 75% on rottentomatoes.com. Tell us why you hate it.
2. Pick one movie that "everyone" hates (the more notorious, the better). That movie must have a score of less than 35% on rottentomatoes.com. Tell us why you love it.
3. Include the tomato meter scores of both movies.
4. Use one of the banners in this post, or feel free to create your own.

Blind Spot: Princess Mononoke

I’ve made it my special mission to finish all works released by Studio Ghibli, or at least the ones I can get my hands on. I’ve never really had the trouble of sitting through one of the films, until I’ve began watching Princess Mononoke. It’s safe to say that this is one of the studio’s high profiled works, with its content a bit darker compared to its counterparts. As much as I was willing to love it, something in the film did not sit with me – the fact that I had a hard time sitting through it should have already raised a few red flags.

Solomon's Perjury Part 1: Suspicion

I don't want a lot of Japanese movies that have a mystery as its main theme. However, I do enjoy how they tackle mystery. From what I've seen, they like their build ups and their twists. Solomon's Perjury has those qualities, a lenghtly feature divided into two separate films. Unfortunately I only got to watch the build up but I'm quite interested on how the second part turns out to be.

Yearly Hiatus

For every year that I've been blogging, I usually take time off from writing and doing anything movie-related, but that's usually because I'm on prolonged vacations. However, I haven't been on a good area in my life for some time, and that's taking a toll on a lot of things, including this blog. As much as I would like to keep content rolling, I feel rather constricted and need a breather. So I am taking the rest of the month off from this spot, save for some posts I already had on queue. I'm still going to be dropping by your blogs, but definitely would need some time off from my space. So that's it, until August! Hopefully things will be better by then, I really hope this hiatus is just temporary. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Adaptations of Classic Literature (No Poems or Plays)

It’s another entry to Thursday Movie Picks, hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves! Each week she provides us with a theme (the entire schedule for the year is out!) and we provide three movies relating to the theme. For this week, we have adaptations of classic literature. Classic literature dates back to the Roman and Greek writings, but what I initially thought of about the theme were those novels that everyone has already read or is supposed to read. For someone who loves reading, I don’t touch up on the Jane Austens, the Bronte sisters, etc. although I do try. Anyway, here are my picks this week:

06/15: Isn't it strange, to create something that hates you?

My laptop has chosen a great time to break down and I don't know when I'm going to get it back (hence no links section this month). Hopefully that would be soon as I have to draft up some stuff if I don't want to leave my space blank for the next coming weeks. How was the first half of 2015 for you? Movie-wise, it has been a disappointing year so far. My numbers are so low compared to last year's, and it seems like there's nothing much worth going to the cinema for. Either my taste in movies have shifted (though I highly doubt that), or there's a limited number of good works that have been released. I'm hoping things get better at the latter half.

Pilots: UnReal, Odd Mom Out, Stitchers

For someone who hasn't been watching movies lately, I've been diving into more television shows, both new ones and old. Besides binge watching old favorites, I started with some of the shows I've been putting off, so even movie reviews would be on a short end this month. Summer tv season also started, and with that, new shows to look out for! Here are a few pilot episodes I have checked out:

Blind Spot: Good Will Hunting

Like most of my blind spot choices, I didn't have an inkling on what Good Will Hunting was about. All I knew were of its Oscar accolades; I even saw a short feature about this during the time of Robin Williams' passing. In a gist, this is about a young man whose genius mind was discovered, completely altering his perceptions, and the repercussions and pressures that come with it.

Thursday Movie Picks: Sibling Relationships (Biologically Related)

This Thursday is the last Thursday Movie Picks of the month, and with this being a year-long event, there’s still plenty of time to join! As on last Thursdays, it’s a family related theme, with this week all about sibling relationships! There are a ton of movies that revolve around siblings. Here are my picks this week:

Blind Spot: Citizen Kane

I accidentally missed watching my blind spot last month. I was experiencing movie-watching fatigue and I didn't want to half-ass the movie, considering that it's proclaimed as the greatest movie ever made. I think that's partly what makes Citizen Kane daunting. It's Orson Welles' first directorial film, and he also co-wrote the script. Being plastered with 'greatest movie ever' makes this intimidating for someone not versed with Orson Welles, and there's an expectation that I have to love it because of its slogan.

Thursday Movie Picks: Animated Movies

It’s another Thursday, which means a new entry to Thursday Movie Picks, hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. This week’s theme: animated movies. I love animated movies - I thought I would have grown out of them by now but nope! I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow them. There are so many to choose from! Here are my picks this week:

Trailer: The Martian


Ridley Scott's latest endeavor wasn't received well, but this might change things. Matt Damon taking another astronaut movie after he did Nolan's had me think that this is going to be similar to Interstellar. Time to dig out my book for this one!

Trailer: Irrational Man


Part of this year's Cannes festival line up, Woody Allen's Irrational Man features a professor entering a relationship with his student. The cast line-up sounds great, although most thrilled with Parker Posey being in the cast; she doesn't do 'big' films these days. This one I could slightly get on board with, as Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone doesn't look so awkward and 'father-daughter'-ly when standing next to each other. Their chemistry kind of reminded me of Josh Radnor and Elizabeth Olsen's movie (professor-student setup as well). Whether reviews are positive or negative, this one is on my radar; I don't think it could get any worst from last year's Woody Allen installment. 

Thursday Movie Picks: Kids Movies Adults Would Enjoy

We are entering the sixth month of Thursday Movie Picks, a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. She gives us a theme to work with each week and we choose three movies that correspond with the theme. This week is all about kids movies that adults would enjoy. Immediately I would think of some animated ones, but that’s this week’s restriction, movies are supposed to be non-animated. I’m not sure if this only meant G-rated movies, or movies that use cartoon-stop motion animated like props (like The NeverEnding Story) can be used, or what exactly constitutes as a kids movie. Here are my choices this week:

Of Human Bondage

As a song lyric goes, 'love hurts'. Love, in both its good and bad forms take place in Of Human Bondage. Philip is a medical student who becomes enamored with Mildred, a waitress. She uses his attraction in her advantage by choosing to appear and leave his life whenever it suits her fancy. The whole movie does sound predictable, but it captured my attention.

Thursday Movie Picks: Mother - Son Relationships (Biologically Related)

At the end of each month, Thursday Movie Picks has a recurring All in the Family Edition theme, with this month being about mother and son relationships. Like always, my choices this week would focus on the relationships rather than actual mother-son movies. Here are my picks this week:

Trailer: Return to Sender


With Rosamund Pike's fantastic turn as Amy Dunne, she's pretty much hot property for dramas and thrillers at this point, with Pike engaging in a dark, sinister movie. She looks great in this and while I think it will go on a predictable route in the end, if the trailer's any indication of how intense things are going to be, I will most likely be watching this movie. What do you think? 

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies Based on Graphic Novel/Comic (Non-Superhero)

I missed last week’s Thursday but it's back! Thursday Movie Picks is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. If you haven’t joined in, it’s never too late! This week’s theme are movies based on graphic novels/comics that are not superheroes! Here are my choices this week:

Trailer: The Intern


I've seen some BTS photos of the movie since last year, so I am finally glad it's getting released. I know that I am going to watch this whether it turns out good or bad; the immediate need to will depend if it is good or bad. Still, Robert De Niro doesn't get as much meaty roles as he did back then; his last 'good' role was 2012's Silver Linings Playbook. Anne Hathaway looks reserved in this movie - I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. What do you think? 

The Five Obstructions

When the film appeared on my watch list a few days ago, I was immediately reminded of a blogathon I joined some time back. Here was a chance to see the film that inspired the blogathon, and needless to say, I was impressed. This was fantastic! When I hear the words Lars von Trier, there’s a certain image that goes along with his body of work. I might not be versed with his filmography, but with various articles and films of his circulating around the internet, it’s hard not to make a collective assumption about his work. If I only knew him by this documentary, I would have a different image of the director.

The Skeleton Twins

A few weeks ago I was reading a young adult book about two teenagers on the verge of suicide. When they encountered each other at the top of their school's building, they somewhat talked each other out of jumping off the ledge and they immediately became friends. I was reminded of the book when I got around to watching The Skeleton Twins. Two people on different points of their lives saw death as a way out, and they somewhat start to save each other.

Movie Roulette Blogathon

As part of the celebration of her and her blog’s birthday, Mettel Ray is hosting a blogathon! It’s quite simple and fun - here are the rules:

1. There are 25 facts, you have to pick 5 or more and for each, you drag out a movie as an answer!
*Click on the gif, hold it and drag out a single movie 
2. You can only drag out one movie for each statement, no do overs, guys!
*If you haven’t seen the movie (or can’t recognize it) you can pick again.*If you pull out a movie you already dragged out, you can try again until you get a different one. 
3. Write down your answers and feel free to comment whether they make sense or not.

4. Link back to this announcement, and link to the Movie Roulette Ultimate Gif Set as well!

*The gif set does have some movie title glitches, apologizes!5. Last but not least, have fun!
I answered every question, following a pattern (1st, 6th, 11th, 16th and 21st question using the first gif set and so forth) and went with my 10 favorite pairings for this post! These are arranged by question number, so here are my favorite ones:

Thursday Movie Picks: Work Place Movies

It’s another Thursday which means another week for Thursday Movie Picks, hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves! This week’s theme is about work place movies. When I think of work place I usually think of four walls, paperwork, and all the technical jibber jabber there is in offices. However, a workplace is more than that, so I’m going to go ahead and deviate from that one. Here are my choices this week:

Double Feature: American Gigolo / Pretty Woman

I think the theme of this double feature review is quite obvious. Here are two Richard Gere movies where he gets to play the ends of the spectrum - American Gigolo and Pretty Woman, released ten years apart.

Pure

Alicia Vikander is currently known for her role as Ava in sci-fi movie Ex Machina. She has also nabbed roles in movies like Anna Karenina and The Fifth Estate. However, I really only got to notice her talent in the Swedish film, Pure. This skyrocketed her career in feature films, garnering her praise for her performance. Rightly so, as Vikander was able to provide life in a tale that seems old as time.

Thursday Movie Picks: Father-Daughter Relationships (Biologically Related)

At the end of each month, Thursday Movie Picks has an all-in-family edition theme, with this week taking a look at father-daughter relationships. Some of my choices this week are/feel kind of 'out there' for the theme, but I chose to focus on the relationship rather than actual father-daughter movies. Here are my choices this week:

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Marvel brings us the newest installment of the franchise where we get to see the Avengers fight a new enemy, make new allies, and find out more about the lives of the superheroes. While this is much grander than the first one, there was something in the first movie that made it stand out but it doesn’t seem to be replicated here.

White Swan, Black Swan Blogathon

Sati of Cinematic Corner is hosting a blogathon, where she asks us to write about our favorite characters that display dual personalities. I had a difficult time deciding which character to write about because apparently I surround myself with too much comedies that I barely watch anything with complicated characters.  But here is a character I think fits the bill on having dual personalities. Note: this post has spoilers.

Thursday Movie Picks: Superhero Movies

Thursday Movie Picks is a weekly meme hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Participants have to pick three movies that are in line for the week's theme and share their choices and thoughts about it. Seeing that the new Avengers movie opens this week, it's quite fitting that this week we talk about superhero movies. While the superhero genre has been consistent since then, it peaked when Marvel released Iron Man and people were impressed so thus began the stream of movies. This boom has made an impact on movie sales that even a fresh franchise (Spider-man) got its reboot before the movies reached a decade. We're even getting prequels for superhero movies! With a ton of these slated for the next couple of years, I wonder if the audience is starting to have superhero fatigue or we just can't get enough of them? Cutting this short, here are my picks this week:

Blind Spot: Leon (The Professional)

One of my blind spot choices that I was very excited about was Leon: The Professional. Knowing nothing much about it except it was the role the skyrocketed Natalie Portman to fame, there were no prior expectations as to what the movie may be. Needless to say, this was fantastic, considering the last Luc Besson movie I've seen was Lucy, and that was a bit messy, to say the least.